Niu remembered waking up to the sight of a woman—her features youthful and elegant, her dark curls framing a warm but cautious expression. Her eyes seemed to peer into his soul, as though searching for something beneath the surface. She would hold him close, her heartbeat a steady rhythm in the chaos of his new reality.
'Mother,' Niu thought to himself.
"Yes, my darling," Naria smiled at the child in her arms.
'Did she just read my mind?' Niu couldn't believe it.
He wasn't sure how he had come to be here or why his body felt so foreign. His limbs were tiny, his hands soft, and his head wobbled on his neck as if it were too big for his body. Worse yet, there was no memory of who he had once been—no recollection of a life before this one.
"Do not worry, Niu, Mommy is here," Naria spoke in a playful, childlike voice. At first, he had tried to speak, but all that came out were soft babbles and gurgles, much to his mother's delight.
His thoughts, however, were clear. He could think rationally, processing complex ideas and concepts far beyond what his tiny hands could manipulate. There were strange yet comforting moments when Niu felt his mother's presence within his mind.
A telepathic link, perhaps, or some sort of spiritual connection that he couldn't fully comprehend. Naria would adjust his blankets before he even felt cold. She would shield his eyes from the sun before the light became too bright. And in the quiet sanctuary, when the world around them was still, she would hum softly to him—her voice resonating not just in his ears but in his very thoughts.
Niu had a difficult time comprehending her words. He would watch her mouth move, saying something incomprehensible, yet the meaning would appear in his mind.
She anticipated his every need before he could express it, and it didn't take long for him to realize that she had an innate connection to him—something more than just maternal intuition.
'Mother, how can I form complex thoughts without having any prior concept of language?' Niu attempted to use the mental link to transmit his question into her mind.
Niu wasn't sure if the message had gotten through, but suddenly, Naria became joyful, filled with enthusiasm. She lifted him high above her head, looking into his eyes.
"My little genius, learning telepathy at just two weeks old!" Naria said, kissing his cheeks in turns.
'She got the message, but she didn't understand what I meant,' Niu thought. 'She can translate her thoughts, not into language, but into intention.'
The first few weeks after waking up were the most disorienting of Niu's life. He tried reaching into his mind for something concrete, but it felt like sifting through fog. Whatever he sought remained hidden, sealed by a force he couldn't understand.
But he was in the body of an infant, and that fact haunted him.
The betrayal of his physical form—the inability to communicate with words—made him feel trapped.
'My body is a mess. It lacks any muscle memory. The only movement I can make without fail is putting my hand in my mouth,' Niu thought in frustration. He couldn't walk, couldn't speak, and when he attempted to crawl, his limbs moved clumsily, far too slow for the mental commands he issued.
It felt as though his mind was a fully grown man trapped inside the helpless frame of a child.
'It's difficult to estimate how old I am with how often I fall asleep. My body grows stronger with each passing day.'
Niu had always been observant, his sharp eyes constantly scanning the world around him. For the past few months, he had absorbed every detail of the sanctuary, especially of his mother, Naria, as she moved with grace and authority. The way she commanded her magic, the fluidity of her speech in multiple languages, and the constant hum of energy around her were all sources of fascination for Niu.
Naria spoke in several tongues—Koronic, the ancient language of their ancestors; Shambali, the language of the ancients; and the melodic god tongue, the language of the winged deity. She was fluent in all of them. Her job required knowledge of Koronic to live among other humans in Shamba.
Shambali was a language of magic and art, although inferior to the god tongue. The god tongue was for communicating with nature and the universe—it was complex to learn and even more difficult to speak.
Whenever Naria whispered to him—soothing him or explaining the world—Niu listened carefully.
Though his infant body denied him the ability to speak, his mind was far more advanced than anyone realized. He understood concepts, ideas, and even fragments of the languages she used.
One day, while Naria was feeding him and humming softly in the ancient language, an idea sparked in Niu's mind. 'If I cannot speak yet, maybe there is another way to communicate with her. What I need is a book.'
Naria sensed the baby's desire—it felt like a craving she needed to satisfy. She smiled at Niu. "You want something from the big room?" Niu had seen the rooms of the house and had a basic layout in his mind.
Intrigued and ready to help her son, Naria strolled to the library, following Niu's silent guidance as though he were a sniffer dog on a trail.
Upon entering the library, joy radiated from Niu—he was one step closer to his goal. The room was filled with shelves of books stretching farther than his little eyes could see.
'Any book. Pick any book,' Niu broadcast the thought as best he could. Naria, catching on, walked to the shelf and randomly picked a book titled 'Calming Tones of the God Tongue.'
Seeing the title, Naria tried to put the book back, but for the first time, Niu managed to coordinate his tiny hands, grabbing the leathery tome in an iron grip.
Sensing the determination in him, Naria let him fiddle with it. Niu turned the cover and looked at her with anticipation, as though waiting for her to read.
And so, Naria read aloud from the god tongue. To her amazement, Niu immediately began to mimic the sounds—not perfectly, but well enough to catch her attention. At first, she thought it was just typical baby babbling, but as Niu persisted, she realized that the sounds weren't random. They were attempts at forming the words she spoke.
Intrigued, Naria leaned in closer, repeating a simple phrase in the god tongue: "Rashan na'da" (meaning "rest easy").
Niu's tiny lips formed the sounds, his babbling taking the shape of those words. He stared at her with intense focus, clearly trying to replicate the phrase as best as his infant body would allow.
She whispered the phrase again, and this time, Niu responded with a closer approximation of the words. Though imperfect, it was clear that he was imitating her speech with intention.
To her astonishment, a refreshing breeze swept over her, rejuvenating her body.
Naria's eyes widened. 'Has Niu... activated a spell using the god tongue?'
Realizing the depth of his understanding, her heart swelled with pride. Her son wasn't just gifted—he was extraordinary. She had always sensed something different about him, something beyond the limitations of his infant form. Now she knew for certain. He wanted to learn, and though he couldn't ask with words, he had found a way to communicate his desire.
'That felt amazing' Niu giggled. A surge of warmth coursed through his tiny body, unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if the very air around him became alive, vibrating with an energy that resonated deep within his core.
The moment his mind reached out to grasp the magical force, there was a connection—like an invisible thread snapping into place. A soft hum filled his ears, and the world around him seemed to slow for a heartbeat. It wasn't just power he felt; it was understanding, a sense of harmony with the universe itself.
The magic flowed through him effortlessly, as if it had always been a part of him, waiting to be awakened. And with it came a profound realization: this was just the beginning.
Excited and curious, Naria decided to test this further but this time with a less powerful language. Words spoken in god tongue manifest with the intent present in the castor's mind. The simple words "Rashan na'da" when spoken with ill intent and enough power would have turned 'rest easy' to be fatal.
Naria began to speak to him more deliberately, repeating words and phrases in the Koronic and Shambali languages. Each time, Niu would mimic the sounds, growing closer and closer to the correct pronunciation.
'I thought pointing out words from a book would be a simple and direct approach to communication but the magic of this world acts upon the words when spoken. '
'Let me take the slow approach, I will play the dumb baby card for now'.
It was clear to Naria that this wasn't just a child babbling—it was a request. Niu was asking her, through his persistent attempts at mimicking speech, to teach him the languages she spoke.
From that day forward, Naria began teaching Niu more consciously. She spoke slowly in each language, repeating words and phrases, allowing him to mimic them at his own pace. Though still young and unable to speak properly, Niu had found an ingenious way to ask for the knowledge he craved. And Naria, recognizing his brilliance, was more than willing to provide it.
Their bond deepened with this new understanding. Niu's mind, though trapped in the body of a child, had found a way to break through the barriers of infancy. With his mother's guidance, he was beginning to unravel the mysteries of language, one word at a time.
Niu, having found a vast library nestled within one of these majestic living chambers, wanted nothing more than to spend all his time reading and testing his magic, absorbing the knowledge contained within its ancient tomes.
'Speaking shambali and the God tongue uses magic but Koronic books are filled with boring history. ' Niu pondered his options.
But his mother, Naria, often insisted on taking him outside, leading him through the radiant streets to experience the beauty of their floating city. Though Niu longed for the quiet of the library, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the extraordinary sights and the living magic of the sanctuary.
The sanctuary was a place of breathtaking wonder, its towering buildings rising as high as mountains, their peaks lost in the clouds. These structures, made of gleaming white stone, were etched with intricate runes that pulsed with a soft, blue light, illuminating the sanctuary day and night.
Luminous grasses grew thickly along the pathways, casting a gentle glow that made the ground itself seem alive. Above, the sky was dotted with floating islands that drifted lazily, each one a small, self-contained paradise. Birds resembling graceful stingrays soared through the air, their wings gliding effortlessly as they weaved between the islands.
Merchants lined the streets, their stalls filled with magical wares—crystals that powered floating devices, enchanted herbs that glowed with healing properties, and shimmering scrolls of knowledge.
Shops displayed advanced technology fused with magic: levitating carts transporting goods, rune-etched tools that worked on their own, and communication devices allowing real-time conversation across distances.
As Naria walked through the streets with Niu in her arms, heads would bow in respect, acknowledging her as a revered spirit magic expert.
"He is so cute, how old is he?" asked a store owner as she noticed Niu's focused eyes studying her merchandise.
"Thank you, he will be six months tomorrow", Naria answered reciprocating the young lady's smile.